₦airaland Forum

Goke7:
You’ve said it all. The players have themselves to blame perhaps they themselves are not confident about their future and just want to remain average or where they are currently. That drive for personal satisfaction and fulfilment is lacking. Never saw an eagles generation as flat as this.

Blaming the NFF for every failure is like expecting the government to suddenly provide uninterrupted power supply , we all know it won’t happen. The NFF has shown time and again that it won’t change, so the responsibility now lies with the players to rise above the system and excel but unfortunately they failed woefully.The state of the NFF is simply a reflection of the country’s governance.”

joelsteron:
The moment I saw him post that hotel video, I just said to myself, “This guy isn’t serious… At this moment? Content for what?”

Then he goes on with zero assists, zero marking or tackles, zero 1v1s or take-ons — yet he’s somehow the “most creative.”
“Eric Chelle should use him in his Fulham position”… too many delusions 😅

Honestly, there’s nothing Iwobi does on the pitch that Raphael Onyedika can’t do twice as well.
I’m open to an Iwobi vs Onyedika comparison, please.

Carry team for head he can't, attack attack.... Oya na dribble ... they will say they want sexy penetration pass.... I wish that 20 years old boy was CM or AM midfielder.

But bomb dy Chelle head for not using Onyedika.

The same question ❓ I asked my colleagues what is the sin of Onyedika. 240mins Onyedika was not used ..Even when midfield collapsed he brought Tolu and wingers ,how can wingers fortify the middle ?
If I am in Onyedika shoes I will quit national team for now for the sake of my sanity. Ndidi is old already , I told someone if Ndidi suspension was implemented I will be happy 😊 because that is the only reason coach will benched him ..Our coach is average but that is what our NFF can afford. Let him stay . He was confused 🤔. Iwobi needs to be playing from the bench. First half golden opportunity presented to Ndidi just to tap in he wasted it .

There is a habit of these players folding in big games. Playing with no urgency or desire…

2022 WCQ against Ghana
2023 AFCON final against CIV
2025 CAF playoff final against DRC

Let’s see what comes of this AFCON but some players will definitely need to be replaced after this cycle.

AFCON 25, 27, 29.

These players should just look to capture 2 of those 3 titles. For their own legacies.

lbrichman2:
Na because they raise our hope only to dash am against rocks..
Na there the pain come from

Too much pain bro

mrwilliams9:
There is a habit of these players folding in big games. Playing with no urgency or desire…

2022 WCQ against Ghana
2023 AFCON final against CIV
2025 CAF playoff final against DRC

Let’s see what comes of this AFCON but some players will definitely need to be replaced after this cycle.

The match against DRC played out exactly the same way the final against CIV happened. In both matches, We scored first but the opposition wasn't fazed. They just shrugged it off and played their game. And equalized.

What struck me was how our players became timid and tame. You will see fear and panic in their eyes. It's strange.

‘With the way Nigeria runs her football affairs, they will not qualify again for the FIFA World Cup” - Randy Waldrum 2023

I entered Uber to work this morning. The Asian driver asked where I was from because of my accent. I said I’m from Nigeria; to my surprise, he said, "Footballing Nation country." As a lady, I acted as if I didn’t understand. I repeated, "Footballing Nation country." He said, "Yes, Footballing Nation country before; now they don’t even qualify for the World Cup." I just replied, "Yeah." That brings the sadness from yesterday's loss match back into my heart. These players did us strong things. They gave us high hope with their previous two matches with the way they played and shattered it just like that.

Before we start 2030 qualifiers, Please NFF just work on our Super Falcons to qualify for 2027 world cup in Brazil seeing they are the ones who give us joy. Our age grade teams too like U17, U20, U23 Male and Female also needs attention.

The way people are saying there's no difference between finidi George and Eric Chelle, in their words Chelle was only fortunate to have victor osihmen and there has not been any improvement in the team
Chai, Nigerians never learn
Takeaway halland from mancity for 10 straight games, let's see mancity
Part of Barcelona problems recently is because raphina is injured
Let mbappe get injured today sef and be out for months, real Madrid will struggle

What am I saying? Of course the players over rely on osihmen and don't have the drive, well expect few

But people coming out to say Eric Chelle is clueless and osihmen is only covering him, that I won't take
Five times this man has made substitution and then these substitutes have scored in those games and won it (excluding the Russia draw) the game for us
Tolu against Rwanda
Tolu against Russia
Akor Adams against Lesotho
Onyeka against Benin republic
Ejuke against gabon
When we won the unity cup and even played against our rival Ghana was osihmen there?... He no win am?
When we drew a very inform Russia, if not that our player scored and own goal we for no win am? Was osihmen there ?
It's one thing to praise osihmen, we deservedly so, but it is another thing to discredit everything this coach has been doing, I just feel very bad for that man honestly, he doesn't deserve all this
With 3 points in 12 games we are not even supposed to make the playoffs, make una no swallow your PRIDE

Meliforme:
Eric Chelle got his midfield combination wrong.
Why play Ndidi and Onyeka together, except your intention is to defend from the start of the game.

There were no balance of play in the midfield. Who shields the back four and maintains the positional discipline in carrying it out, who is primarily responsible for building play from the back, and which other midfielder can assist in building play from the back.

Our movement from the back to the advanced areas of the pitch towards goalscoring, lack the kind of midfielders to execute it.
These kind of midfielders must possess good ball distribution, can take on players, and must have good ball recovery, right movement and positional discipline.

The players that are very close to the aforementioned qualities are: Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Raphael Onyedika and Alhassan Yusuf.
We should build our midfield around these players, and scout for more players.

I agree with everything you posted. In addition, I'll say Ndidi is the major culprit in this lack of positional discipline thing.

If you look at the DR Congo match, you'd realize Ndidi was the CDM who was supposed to shield the back four, Iwobi the CAM while Onyeka played slightly ahead of Ndidi as CM/box to box.

But Ndidi didn't keep positional discipline. This was particularly evident from that Lookman square ball that he and chukwueze botched in the DR Congo box in the first half.

Chukwueze don set leg ready to hit the ball but Ndidi quickly jumped in cos he wanted to be the scorer. When it happened, I thought to myself, wetin carry Ndidi reach there na? Clearly, he was aware of his lack of goals in the National team, so he wanted to score badly and was glory hunting.

Even overall, he was poor and was partly responsible for DR Congo's equalizer. Chelle has to be ruthless with the players. Any major eff up,, you chop bench just like he did with Ekong for his errors against Zimbabwe and SA.

I want Ndidi to chop bench and for Onyeka to play as DM at AFCON. Onyeka interpretes the DM role better and even has better positional discipline. Onyeka also possesses higher goal threat than Ndidi. 71 caps for Nigeria since 2015 with 0 goals is quite damning for Ndidi.

On the other hand, Onyeka has scored 2 goals in recent matches against Benin and DR Congo. Even Onyedika who has had very limited game time scored against Benin in the WCQ group away match. Make Ndidi just siddon for bench or miss the team entirely. We can do without him.

Squad regulars/irregulars like Alhassan, Onyedika and Chrisantus can play as CM/Box-to-Box while outsiders like Akinsanmiro and Anthony Dennis can also be brought in to the fold.

Osimhen felt his hamstring at the end of the first half and walked off the pitch with some discomfort. Still he wanted to resume the 2nd half.

The coaching crew made a calculated decision to substitute him so he wouldn't aggravate it, and he could play in the AFCON.

People shitting on Osimhen for the injury, and Eric Chelle for taking him off have major issues in their lives.

I'm even tired of talking of these players. If you ask me, it's high time we start focusing on the cankerworm eating deep into our football: The NFF (No Future Foundation).

What's paining me is that most Nigerian football fans are fickle and have short term memory. I won't be surprised if this issue is swept under the rug in the next 1-2 weeks. We need to hold NFF by the neck and not let go at all.

The Super Eagles fell yesterday, and it hurts to say this, but with Madugu in charge and with the rubbish we played in the last WAFCON. qualifiers, the Super Falcons might be next. 😩

We did not lose the game. It was a tie. Penalties are lottery to an extent. We seem to play not to lose.

The team defended well for the most part. For the 2nd half and the whole of extra time no to concede. This is a plus we can take to the AFCON.

That said 8 outfield players need to be replaced with more technical and mentally strong players if we are to improve this team.

Goke7:
Your agenda clear 😂

I didn't have any agenda.. I promise 🤣🤣

I wish Nigerians can transfer the same fanaticism they have for shows like BBNaija to our football.

Yes, we lost because of Osimhen's injury which shows that our team is useless without our main man unlike Congo's because for fvcks sake, Congo didn't even parade their number one striker Yoanne Wissa in this playoff due to injury, yet they battered us like we stole something in the street.


The loss no dey pain me because we obviously stood no chance.

QueenJazz:
I wish Nigerians can transfer the same fanaticism they have for shows like BBNaija to our football.

people actually die watching nigerian football. I dont know if the fanaticism should go more than this

owbabs:
We did not lose the game. It was a tie. Penalties are lottery to an extent. We seem to play not to lose.

The team defended well for the most part. For the 2nd half and the whole of extra time no to concede. This is a plus we can take to the AFCON.

That said 8 outfield players need to be replaced with more technical and mentally strong players if we are to improve this team.

Dr Congo could not beat a weakened SE team that was demoralized and making mistakes..
That's a major plus for me

We have a formidable team as far as I'm concerned

QueenJazz:
I wish Nigerians can transfer the same fanaticism they have for shows like BBNaija to our football.

Not sure what you mean. Mind expatiating?

mrwilliams9:
There is a habit of these players folding in big games. Playing with no urgency or desire…

2022 WCQ against Ghana
2023 AFCON final against CIV
2025 CAF playoff final against DRC

Let’s see what comes of this AFCON but some players will definitely need to be replaced after this cycle.

This Afcon? please be serious

mostob:
I didn't have any agenda.. I promise 🤣🤣

You Dey laugh at yourself 😂

semid4lyfe:
Osimhen felt his hamstring at the end of the first half and walked off the pitch with some discomfort. Still he wanted to resume the 2nd half.

The coaching crew made a calculated decision to substitute him so he wouldn't aggravate it, and he could play in the AFCON.

People shitting on Osimhen for the injury, and Eric Chelle for taking him off have major issues in their lives.

It would have been better to risk him for a wcq than Afcon. My thoughts

Mujtahida:
The match against DRC played out exactly the same way the final against CIV happened. In both matches, We scored first but the opposition wasn't fazed. They just shrugged it off and played their game. And equalized.

What struck me was how our players became timid and tame. You will see fear and panic in their eyes. It's strange.

That’s the perfect description! And it’s too worrisome.

If Eric Chelle cannot make it to the Finals of AFCON he should be shown the exit door.
Our target for him is the finals not 3rd place or semis.

Naija mentality of relying on sheer talent while de emphasizing adequate preparation and planning has come back to hunt us.

This generation may end been remembered as a set of underachievers, not necessarily due to their own making.

More worrisome is the fact that the youth teams are now also faltering. I still maintain that the SE will face a steep decline from 2030.

Goke7:
It would have been better to risk him for a wcq than Afcon. My thoughts

Baba, questions for you

1. You dey play ball?
2. You don pull hamstring before?

I have ...about 5 years ago during my normal saturday morning football sessions.

I was pressing blocked pure water to the thigh for like 5 minutes everyday and rubbing deep heat ointment.

Despite all these, it took me about 3 months before I could resume playing football again.

With the stakes and the physicality of the DR Congo players, there's no way Osimhen would have lasted the remaining 45 minutes.

Abeg, e good as coach commot am to save am for AFCON.

Me, I want us to meet DR Congo again at AFCON. I want to see what Eric Chelle will do, and how the team will play differently.

mostob:
see my team for here.. 2gether 4ever

aaashaaawo. Me na five cape verde ladies i wan give bele like this

ThunderFireAgba:
If Eric Chelle cannot make it to the Finals of AFCON he should be shown the exit door.
Our target for him is the finals not 3rd place or semis .

As giant wey we be abi as what na? The issue I have with your take on sacking the guy is that we are speaking from an entitlement perspective and that is what got us here in the first place. ENTITLEMENT Mentality!!!! We feel that once opponents hear Nigeria, they go begin shiver. At the end of the day, it will always be down to the 11 man personnel that we deploy and how they carry out the coach's tactics.

We need to first deal with the issue on ground which is how we have been unable to get our middle of the park right for over 10 years. Which still comes to entitlement. We dont want to work the work, but we want ready made . Anything that serves our immediate interest. We dont even consider synergy of the team. It is always sentiment laden invitations to the national team. Always the next Shiny Toy.

My take is very simple and this is what corporates do. They do KPIs for each person employed to determine if you are really doing what has been listed in your Job Description and to see if you did any extra. This in turn will determine if you should be retained, placed on the same salary, promoted or fired. When we hand out invitations, what are the said invitees coming to do(Job Description)? When they play, how are they evaluated ( KPI)? How are they deployed? Can they be trusted with bigger roles (Leadership). Do they take charge of situations as they arise?( ownership) . All these are factors that we need to look at when analyzing our National team

Now I dare you to apply all of these to the current team, and you will inevitably see based on the above, who did what? and to what degree. And who needs to be axed.

Not sparing the Organization (Employers, who in this case is NFF) . Does the organization have plans for growth? is there a work friendly environment? Are resources being deployed as and when necessary? Or all they are interested in is annual Dividends and profit sharing.

Think about all these.

Spainever:
The same question ❓ I asked my colleagues what is the sin of Onyedika. 240mins Onyedika was not used ..Even when midfield collapsed he brought Tolu and wingers ,how can wingers fortify the middle ?
If I am in Onyedika shoes I will quit national team for now for the sake of my sanity. Ndidi is old already , I told someone if Ndidi suspension was implemented I will be happy 😊 because that is the only reason coach will benched him ..Our coach is average but that is what our NFF can afford. Let him stay . He was confused 🤔. Iwobi needs to be playing from the bench. First half golden opportunity presented to Ndidi just to tap in he wasted it .

as in, ndidi is so so useless in that middle. He can't mark. He can't close down opponents. He can't make tackles. He can't defend. He can't press and you call yourself a DM